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10
Nov 2020
New bid to get rough sleepers off Harrogate district's streets
Harrogate Borough Council plans to buy three houses in town to reduce the number of rough sleepers.
The government’s £105 million Everyone In scheme funded organisations that help rough sleepers during the first lockdown.
Now ministers have set up a new programme called Next Steps, which provides further funding.
Read more:
- Call to create Harrogate Town Council
- Visible return of rough sleeping in Harrogate as lockdown eases
Harrogate Borough Council bid for £1,084,570 from the programme to help with short and long term interventions on rough sleeping in the district.
However, the government looks set to offer the authority £449,326 - nearly half the amount requested.
Once finalised, the council intends to use the funding to buy three former council dwellings to house those people at risk.
The authority has estimated the cost of purchasing the three homes will be £696,000, which officials say would be funded from both the grant and the authority's housing revenue account.
Town centre locations
A report due before senior councillors on the the council’s cabinet today said the homes would be prioritised within the town area.
It says:
Senior councillors have been recommended to delegate power to the head of housing to accept the the grants from government, subject to confirmation.
Local authorities were encouraged to house rough sleepers temporarily under the Everyone In initiative during the first lockdown.
The borough council housed people in hostels in the town, as well as in Leeds.
According to council figures, 29 rough sleepers in the district were taken off the streets, of which 10 are still being supported by the authority.
The Stray Ferret asked the council what has happened to the remaining 19 which were housed, but has yet to receive a response.
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